Somerset Army Cadets

Gibraltar Company. The first battle honour of the Earl of Barrymore’s Regiment of Foot, for the defence of the Island of Gibraltar from the Spanish during the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar in 1704 during the War of the Spanish Succession.

During this period regiments were named after their Colonels, the title changing with each new Colonel, until the confusing practice was outlawed in 1751.

Thus the Earl of Barrymore’s Regiment of Foot, later to become Cotton’s Regiment of Foot and thence Pulteney’s Regiment of Foot, become the 13th Regiment of Foot in 1751 and eventually the 13th (1st Somersetshire) Regiment of Foot in 1782, formed part of the garrison of Gibraltar in order to defend it, having recently captured it from Spain. Spain laid siege to Gibraltar in order to recapture it but failed, despite a long campaign known as the Twelfth Siege of Gibraltar (1704-1705). Gibraltar was formally ceded to Britain at the Treaty of Utrecht in 1713.

Jellalabad Company. A battle honour that is unique to the Somerset Light Infantry, for the relief of the besieged Afghan town of Jelalabad (later Jellalabad), and the subsequent defeat of the Afghan army in the First Anglo-Afghan War (1839-1842).

During the campaign the 13th (1st Somersetshire) Regiment (Light Infantry) were forced to retreat from Kabul to the fortified outpost of Jelalabad. The siege lasted for five months, during which they withstood many attacks. Finally when the 13th were down to their last few rounds, the garrison, led by Sir Robert Sale, broke the siege and attacked the Afghans, driving them off the field with a final bayonet charge.

Although the war was essentially an English reverse, battle honours and campaign medals were awarded and the conduct of the 13th at Jelalabad was officially rewarded on 26th August 1842 when Prince Albert offered his patronage to the regiment and permitted his name to be used in the title, becoming the 13th (1st Somersetshire) (Prince Albert’s Light Infantry) Regiment of Foot.

Normandy Company. A campaign honour, rather than a battle honour, shared by all Light Infantry regiments that fought in Normandy, France, from mid-1944. The Somerset units involved were 4th Bn Somerset Light Infantry (4 SomLI), 7th Bn Somerset Light Infantry (7 SomLI) and 7th (Light Infantry) Bn Parachute Regiment (raised from 10th Bn Somerset Light Infantry). Heavy casualties were sustained during the campaign, with Somerset's losses at Hill 112 near Caen being particularly heavy. Two other LI battalions took part in the battle for Hill 112; 4th Bn King’s Shropshire Light Infantry (4 KSLI) and 5th Bn Devon & Cornwall Light Infantry (5 DCLI).

The 2nd Bn Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry (Oxf & Bucks LI) were the first allied unit to land on French soil on D-Day when they captured Pegasus and Horsa Bridges crossing the Caen Canal and the River Orne in a textbook glider-borne action during Operation Tonga, the opening round of Operation Overlord.

Salamanca Company. A battle honour awarded for the defeat of a French army during the Peninsular War. The British and Portuguese armies in Spain were under the command of Lt Gen the Earl of Wellington. Those Light Infantry units taking part were 11th Foot (Devonshire Regiment) later The Devon & Dorset Regiment, 32nd Foot (Duke of Cornwall’s Light Infantry) later The Light Infantry, the 43rd Foot (Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry) later The Royal Green Jackets, the 51st Foot (King’s Own Yorkshire Light Infantry) later The Light Infantry, 52nd Foot (Oxfordshire & Buckinghamshire Light Infantry) later The Royal Green Jackets, the 53rd Foot (King’s Shropshire Light Infantry) later The Light Infantry, the 60th Foot (King’s Royal Rifle Corps) later The Royal Green Jackets, 61st Foot (Gloucestershire Regiment) later The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire & Wiltshire Light Infantry, the 68th Foot (Durham Light Infantry) later The Light Infantry and the 95th Rifles (The Rifle Brigade) later The Royal Green Jackets. All were subsequently subsumed into The Rifles in 2007.

The Silver Bugles Band, our jewel in the crown, is often seen as the public face of Somerset Army Cadets.

It is composed of cadets from two Platoons, Uphill and Frome, supported by a handful of adult volunteers.

The majority of band members arrive with little or no musical background and are instructed by volunteer adults who themselves often have no formal music training.

It is testament to their self-discipline and tenacity that cadets learn quickly to produce quality music whilst marching in complex sequences.

The Band members manage to combine their band training with the regular APC Syllabus whilst finding time to perform at events. This is only made possible by a dedicated staff and supportive parents, whose tailoring skills have proved invaluable over the years.

Swift & Bold Concert, Royal Albert Hall

The Massed Bands & Bugles of the Regular, Reserve & Cadet Musicians of The Rifles performed for two nights at the Royal Albert Hall in London before 4000 guests and members of the Royal Family.

The musicians combine their band training with the APC Syllabus whilst finding time to perform at events; only made possible by a dedicated staff and supportive parents. They are an example of what ‘modern youth’ can achieve with the right support.

Twice a year, all Army Cadets bands gather for a ‘Concentration', a week-long music camp in which over 500 cadets at all levels play and learn together, culminating in a series of examinations and performances in one of the largest musical ensembles in the country. Bands are also in demand for military tattoos and parades all year round.

Sounding Retreat on Horse Guards Parade

The Massed Bands & Bugles of the Regular, Reserve & Cadet Musicians of The Rifles performed for two nights Sounding Retreat on Horse Guards Parade, London.

So good were they that members of the audience asked whether the cadets were actually there as everyone played so professionally!

The music of The Rifles has a distinctive and unique sound. From the timeless ‘High On A Hill’ to the haunting ‘Last Post’, the sound of the bugle is at the very heart of Somerset Army Cadets. The Rifles pioneered the use of the bugle more than 200 years ago as a way of communicating on the battlefields of the Peninsula War.

A symbol of Riflemen ever since, the bugle is worn today as the cap badge of every member of the Regiment and its affiliated Army Cadets’ units.

Sounding Retreat at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing, Ypres, Belgium

The Silver Bugles Band, specially invited for the event, Sounded Retreat at the Menin Gate before a vast audience and then held an impromptu display in the Grote Market outside the Cloth Hall, drawing a large audience of tourists and diners.

The Band perform at many events, notably at Military Tattoos, Armed Forces Days, escorted the Queen’s Medallist at Bisley, the Swift & Bold Concert at the Royal Albert Hall, Sounding Retreat at Horse Guards Parade, Sounding Retreat at the Menin Gate Memorial to the Missing in Ypres - and played for HM The Queen and other members of the Royal Family.

Aside from gaining the technical ability to play an instrument, music improves commitment, discipline and self-esteem. Whatever your standard or choice of instrument once you reach a reasonable level, you will be able to take part in the band's busy schedule of engagements.

Too many young people are missing out on the challenges and adventures that could transform their lives.

We give youngsters from all walks of life access to fun, friendship, action and adventure, challenging them to learn more, do more and try more, inspiring them to aim high and go further in life. Our Cadet Force Adult Volunteers offer a huge range of training, qualifications and challenges. Cadets are inspired to explore their limits, become independent, confident and able to step up to any challenge. With over 650 cadets in Somerset, we make a big impact on young people, parents and communities. Cadets and adults keep telling us, "It’s the best thing I’ve ever done." And "Cadets builds people to be the best version of themselves."

If you’re between 12 and 18 and in at least Year 8 at school, you can join. Soon you’ll be having more fun and making more new friends than you ever thought possible.

One of the main reasons why youngsters join is for Fieldcraft - often cited as one of two main reasons youngsters want to join Cadets, the other being shooting.

You start by learning the basics of personal camouflage, how to move as an individual in the field, how to live and survive in the field before going on to learn how to work together in the field, eventually commanding your own section. Fieldcraft is taught throughout the year, but during Annual Camp you will get to live out in the field over a number of days. Working as a team to patrol an area day and night, perhaps dealing with ambushes is one of the most exciting exercises that you'll experience during your cadet training. Teamwork and communication are both skills that are readily transferable to everyday life.

You may also be able to take your skills even further by competing for a place on Somerset’s Rifles National Cadet Competition team, or entering the Cadet Leadership Course or the Champion or Master Cadet Courses as the triumph to your cadet career.

The Ten Tors Challenge - there may be many challenging outdoor events in Britain today, but Ten Tors stands alone in its scale, its ambition and the fact that it is aimed solely at young people. The event takes place every year on Dartmoor and all those who attempt Ten Tors will undoubtedly remember it for the rest of their lives - for many it will be a life-changing experience.

Training starts nine months in advance! Completing Ten Tors is not easy with the terrain, distances and often the climate all conspiring against success. Attracting 2,400 teenagers in 400 completely self-contained teams of six, the teams navigate and trek unaided on routes of 35, 45 or 55 miles (depending on age) over the northern half of Dartmoor National Park, visiting ten nominated tors/check points in under two days. They rely on their navigational skills and carry all their food, water, bedding, tents and other essentials on their backs. It is a feat they must complete as a team and without any help from adults.

It is achievable with the right commitment, training, endurance and grit: as the Event’s founder once said: “If there is anything more important than the will to succeed, it is that the will shall not falter.”

Nijmegen Four Day Marches - Stichling De 4 DAAGSE - The Walk of the World; whatever you choose to call the event it is simply massive.

The first Nijmegen March started in 1909 with 109 entrants and over the intervening 120 years the event has grown in status, becoming the biggest, longest and hardest event of its kind in the world with more than 45,000 participants!

The distances covered by the military teams, including Somerset Army Cadets total 165km over four days. Competitors have a different route each day; through the provinces of Gelderland, North Brabant and Limburg, through the city of Nijmegen and its suburbs.

Our long and rigorous training programme starts on Salisbury Plain in January, via completing the Cosford 2 Day Marches, the approved mandatory pre-Nijmegen qualifier. Historically, Somerset has always trained hard for the marches and have generally done exceptionally well. Train Hard, Fight Easy is our motto.

For those Somerset cadets who wish to pursue a career in the Armed Forces after Army Cadets - the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force or the Royal Marines, there are a number of routes open to you.

For the Royal Navy there are two routes open to you: recruitment as a rating in the Royal Navy or recruitment as an officer in the Royal Navy.

You may also consider a part-time career as a rating in the Royal Naval Reserve, or as an officer in the Royal Naval Reserve.

For those Somerset cadets who wish to pursue a career in the Armed Forces after Army Cadets - the British Army, the Royal Navy, the Royal Air Force or the Royal Marines, there are a number of routes open to you.

For the Royal Marines follow this link to find out more. For an overview of the Royal Marines application process, click here.

You may also consider a part-time career in the Royal Marines Reserve.